CLUES SCIENTISTS FOUND AND HOW THEY FIND THEM:

Clues of climate change and global warming scientists look in many places to find clues about climate change. For example, they examine historical records; collect measurements; and observe trends in temperature, weather patterns, sea level, and other features of the environment. Because there are so many clues from all over the world, we know that climate change is already happening today. Eleven signs of climate change are hidden in the landscape below. Can you find them all? When you get close to each answer, you'll see a magnifying glass, which means it's time to click and reveal a clue!

CHANGING PRECIPITATION PATTERNS:

ONE SIGN OF GLOBAL WARMING OCCURRING NOW IS TO LOOK AND NOTICE THE AWKWARD CHANGE OD PRECIPITATION PATTERNS ESPECIALLY RAIN.

SCIENCE STUDIES SHOW THAT NOW, SNOW ARE LESS OFTEN DURING EACH NECESSARY SEASON AND RAIN ARE OUT OF CONTROL. THIS IS THE EFFECT OF GLOBAL WARMING. If it seems like the United States is getting more heavy storms and major floods these days, it's because we are. Global warming is partly to blame for these heavy rainfall events. Because warmer air can hold more moisture, heavier precipitation is expected in the years to come.

We’ve all heard by now that global warming will bring about changes in precipitation patterns, with some areas seeing increases with other areas drying out. A new piece of research from MIT delves into this area and finds that the changes in groundwater levels could be much greater than the changes in precipitation itself."

Global warming has caused more heavy rainfall events in the United States over the last few decades along with an increased likelihood of devastating floods. While no single storm or flood can be attributed directly to global warming, changing climate conditions are at least partly responsible for past trends. Because warmer air can hold more moisture, more and heavier precipitation is expected in the years to come. At the same time, shifts in snowfall patterns, the onset of spring and river-ice melting may all exacerbate some flooding risks.

In the Midwest and Northeast, big storms that historically would only be seen once every 20 years are projected to happen as much as every 4 to 6 years by the end of the 21st century. At the same time, shifts in snowfall patterns, the onset of spring, and river-ice melting may all exacerbate flooding risks.Now is the time to confront the realities of global warming, including the increasing frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events across the country. We need to reduce the risks to riverfront communities. Important steps include discouraging development in flood-prone areas and protecting the natural systems, such as wetlands, that help to shield against floods.Recent decades have brought more heavy summer rainfall events along with increased likelihood of devastating floods. While no single storm or flood can be attributed directly to global warming, changing climate conditions are at least partly responsible for past trends. Because warmer air can hold more moisture, global warming is expected to bring more and heavier precipitation in the years to come.

THE RISE OF SEA LEVELS:

HOW DO SEA LEVELS RISE? DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING? YOU BET! GLOBAL WARMING HAS CAUSED TONS OF SNOW AND ICE TO MELT AND LOTS AND LOTS MORE RAINFALLS, ALL THIS MUCH LIQUID WATER IS FLOWING TO THE SEA AND NOW SEA LEVEL IS GOING UP ]AND MORE UP!

THERE ARE 3 PRIMARY FACTORS OF SEA LEVEL RISES:

Melting of glaciers and polar ice caps: Large ice formations, like glaciers and the polar ice caps, naturally melt back a bit each summer. But in the winter, snows, made primarily from evaporated seawater, are generally sufficient to balance out the melting. Recently, though, persistently higher temperatures caused by global warming have led to greater-than-average summer melting as well as diminished snowfall due to later winters and earlier springs. This imbalance results in a significant net gain in runoff versus evaporation for the ocean, causing sea levels to rise.

Thermal expansion: When water heats up, it expands. About half of the past century's rise in sea level is attributable to warmer oceans simply occupying more space.

Ice loss from Greenland and West Antarctica: As with glaciers and the ice caps, increased heat is causing the massive ice sheets that cover Greenland and Antarctica to melt at an accelerated pace. Scientists also believe meltwater from above and seawater from below is seeping beneath Greenland's and West Antarctica's ice sheets, effectively lubricating ice streams and causing them to move more quickly into the sea. Moreover, higher sea temperatures are causing the massive ice shelves that extend out from Antarctica to melt from below, weaken, and break off.

Natural Disasters:

HURRICANES, TORNADOES, FLOODS, WHERE DO THEY COME FROM AND WHY ARE THERE SO MANY? THE BLAME IS ON GLOBAL WARMING!!!

Natural Disasters:

The storms shocked us and destroyed many! What could be worse with knowing that this wasn’t even a particularly bad year, according to Roger Pielke Jr., an environmental studies professor at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies the economics costs natural disasters have over time. “It’s really hard for people to appreciate the magnitude of these events,” he said. “They only occur so often.” For him and other experts, the "worst" natural disasters included ones that caused numerous deaths, impacted large numbers of people, and resulted in high economic costs. Sometimes, though, the most extreme events were simply impressive exhibits of what the world can do. Here’s a look at the natural disasters in 2012 that stood out.What is a hurricane?A hurricane is a huge storm! It can be up to 600 miles across and have strong winds spiraling inward and upward at speeds of 75 to 200 mph. Each hurricane usually lasts for over a week, moving 10-20 miles per hour over the open ocean. Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with warm ocean waters. Evaporation from the seawater increases their power. Hurricanes rotate in a counter-clockwise direction around an "eye" in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. The center of the storm or "eye" is the calmest part. It has only light winds and fair weather. When they come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds and large waves can damage buildings, trees and cars.

HERE IS SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HURRICANES BEFORE YOU START READING ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING SIGNALS:How do hurricanes form?Hurricanes only form over really warm ocean water of 80°F or warmer. The atmosphere (the air) must cool off very quickly the higher you go. Also, the wind must be blowing in the same direction and at the same speed to force air upward from the ocean surface. Winds flow outward above the storm allowing the air below to rise. Hurricanes typically form between 5 to 15 degrees latitude north and south of the equator. The Coriolis Force is needed to create the spin in the hurricane and it becomes too weak near the equator, so hurricanes can never form there.

What is storm surge?Storm surges are frequently the most devastating element of a hurricane. As a hurricane’s winds spiral around and around the storm, they push water into a mound at the storm’s center. This mound of water becomes dangerous when the storm reaches land because it causes flooding along the coast. The water piles up, unable to escape anywhere but on land as the storm carries it landward. A hurricane will cause more storm surge in areas where the ocean floor slopes gradually. This causes major flooding. Now that you know, there are more storm surges in the world this year than any other time period. About 2 times as more than before.As you watch the storm-surge animations, notice the effect that the physical geography of each coastline has on storm surge. Also, note the waves on top of the ocean's surface. Wind, waves, and sea-level rise all contribute to storm-surge damage.Shallow-Water CoastlineDeep-Water CoastlineWith technology the way it is, there are computer models that allow forecasters to predict the amount of storm surge that will affect a coastal area. These are called Slosh Models and take into account a storm’s strength, its path, how the ocean shallows, and the shape of the land. Then it calculates how much storm surge a hurricane will probably cause.

When does hurricane season start?The Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, but most hurricanes occur during the fall months. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season is from May 15 to November 30. (Below is a graphic that shows you when hurricanes are most active across parts of the world.) However, since the weather is changing, the hurricane season isn't predicable anymore. Hurricanes are actually more frequent during the summer and winters, though.

A mild, dry spring brought sweeping drought to the American Midwest this year, making it the worst since 1956. Official maps showing severe, extreme and exceptionally dry conditions in red make the country look like it has gaping wounds. Kathleen Tierney, a sociology professor who heads the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, pointed to recent Mississippi River news. The drought is so bad that waters are at a near-record low. Barge traffic has slowed to the point where business and industry leaders are begging President Obama to declare an emergency. “They ship grain on barges and they might not be able to ship it,” Tierney said. “It’s the Mississippi River for crying out loud!”A SKULL AND ROCKS LIE AT THE BOTTOM OF A DRIED SOIL:

The heaviest rain to hit Beijing in over 60 years started pounding the city on July 21. Damage was impressive: buildings collapsed, roads were submerged, neighborhoods lost power and many lost their lives. “It’s the typical urban flooding scenario,” Tierney said. “You pave over everything, you create so many impermeable surfaces, when you get too much water it’s going to go into any low-lying area, any underpass.” She compared the flooding to the kind that occurs in Las Vegas, where pavement is so prevalent and water has nowhere to go. Dozens were killed by debris, electrocution, and drowning in Beijing.

EARTHQUAKE CONFLICTS:The year’s most devastating earthquakes weren't the 8.2 and 8.6 magnitude ones that struck Northern Sumatra in Indonesia in April. The deadliest actually occurred on Aug. 11 in Ahar, an Iranian city on the country’s northwestern edge. Two quakes struck the region, one 6.4-magnitude and the other, a 6.3-magnitude quake. More than 300 people died from the quakes, the country’s health minister told Iran’s TV network Press TV. In addition, more than 3,000 people were injured. Staying inside was so unsafe that thousands remained outdoors to ride out the aftershocks. A major geological fault line runs through the country, making it susceptible to quakes.

“You can pretty much always count on typhoons hitting the Philippines and causing massive flooding,” said Kathleen Tierney. “The Philippines is probably one of the most disaster-prone places on Earth.” This year, Typhoon Haikui brought massive flooding in August. While typhoons are an annual occurrence, their effects are exacerbated by poor urban development and increased population density, Tierney pointed out. Manila’s population is more than 11.4 million, and large areas of the city are informal settlements. Trash gets thrown into canals, making everything worse when storms come. When the typhoon flooded Manila, more than a million residents were affected and 850,000 fled submerged homes, Australia's ABC News reported. Then in early December, Typhoon Bopha hit the country, killing hundreds and stranding thousands.HURRICANES HITTING USA:

Sandy wasn’t technically a hurricane when it arrived stateside but a “post-tropical cyclone” that made landfall on Oct. 29 and swept up the East Coast, doing an estimated $63 billion in damage. The storm triggered widespread evacuations, shut down the world’s largest subway system, washed away part of the Atlantic City Boardwalk, downed electricity across New York City, and pulled two young boys from their mother’s arms in Staten Island, killing them. In the U.S., 131 people died. “We’re going to see storms like that that are much, much more powerful,” Pielke Jr. said, pointing out that a storm in 1821 caused a 25-foot storm surge to hit Manhattan. “New York’s going to get hit again, it’s just a matter of when.”

Droughts AND Wild Fires in Forests

What is a wildfire?A wildfire also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, peat fire, bushfire (in Australia), or hill fire is an uncontrolled fire often occurring in wildland areas, but which can also consume houses or agricultural resources. Wildfires often begin unnoticed, but they spread quickly igniting brush, trees and homes.

What causes a wildfire?Common causes of wildfires include lightning, human carelessness, arson, volcano eruption, and pyroclastic cloud from active volcano. Heat waves, droughts, and cyclical climate changes such as El Niño can also have a dramatic effect on the risk of wildfires. Although, more than four out of every five wildfires are caused by people.When you talk about wildfires caused by humans, I mean that humans first pollute and cause global warming which then causes the weather to warm up. This suddenly effects the temperature and moisture of the forests that it burns up during a very dry weather.

Where can wildfires occur?Wildfires can occur anywhere, but are common in the forested areas of the United States and Canada. They are also susceptible in many places around the world, including much of the vegetated areas of Australia as well as in the Western Cape of South Africa. The climates are sufficiently moist to allow the growth of trees, but feature extended dry, hot periods. Fires are particularly prevalent in the summer and fall, and during droughts when fallen branches, leaves, and other material can dry out and become highly flammable. Wildfires are also common in grasslands and scrublands. What are the Santa Ana winds?The Santa Ana winds are hot, dry winds that aggravate the fire danger in forests and bush lands. These winds characteristically appear in Southern California and Northern Baja California weather during autumn and early winter. In southern California, under the influence of Santa Ana winds, wildfires can move at tremendous speeds, up to 40 miles in a single day, consuming up to 1,000 acres per hour. Dense clouds of burning embers push ahead of the flames crossing firebreaks without a problem.

What is a fire tornado?A fire tornado or fire whirl is just a tornado made of fire. It happens when certain conditions (depending on air temperature and currents), acquires a vertical vorticity and forms a whirl, or a tornado-like effect. Fire tornadoes may be whirlwinds separated from the flames, either within the burn area or outside it. A fire tornado can make fires more dangerous.

How do firefighters put out the wildfires? Firefighters use a tool known as a pulaski. Its a combination of an ax and hoe used to dig a fire line. A fire line is a strip of land from which all brush and debris have been cleared to rob a wildfire of its fuel. Firefighters also use hotshots and smoke jumpers to clear a large path in a big circle around the fire so the blaze is contained in a ring of dirt. When the fire reaches this area, it runs out of fuel and starves to death. If the fire is too large, however, planes and helicopters fly overhead, dropping water and special chemicals that smother the flames. This pink, fire-retardant chemical is called sky jell-o.

Overall, fires in the forests and other weather-disrupting effects are caused by warmer weather and also drier air. this is lead mostly by global warming and climate changes. The thing is, people are cutting down trees, trying not to harm anymore. however cutting one tree can even lead to global warming. Global warming causes warmer and drier air (of course) which will cause forest fires and more burnt down trees.

EARTHQUAKES- CAUSED BY GLOBAL WARMING!!!

AGAIN, HERE IS A FEW INFO YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT EARTHQUAKES:What is an earthquake?Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth’s surface. They are the Earth's natural means of releasing stress. More than a million earthquakes rattle the world each year. The West Coast is most at risk of having an earthquake, but earthquakes can happen in the Midwest and along the East Coast. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted - although scientists are working on it, they should really be thinking hoe they can stop global warming to prevent all these "extra" earthquakes.

What causes an earthquake?There are about 20 plates along the surface of the earth that move continuously and slowly past each other. When the plates squeeze or stretch, huge rocks form at their edges and the rocks shift with great force, causing an earthquake. That is one way earthquakes are happening, but why are there so many? Well, when global warming warms up earth, the clouds get warmer, but also faster. As the clods move along with its warm pressure it heats the ground too. as the droughts become more frequent, the surface of the ground cracks, soon leading to more effective earthquakes.

What is a fault?A fault is an area of stress in the earth where broken rocks slide past each other, causing a crack in the Earth's surface. There are the major types of faults: dip-slip normal, dip-slip reverse, strike-slip, and oblique-slip.